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Australia

Jacinth-Ambrosia Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Ilmenite
  • Zircon
  • Rutile
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Dry mining
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SnapshotThe Jacinth-Ambrosia (J-A) operation is the world’s largest zircon mine.

J-A currently operates two main pits; Jacinth and Ambrosia. Atacama will be operated as a satellite deposit to J-A.

The Atacama project is a logical extension for the Jacinth-Ambrosia operation and a potential source of zircon and synthetic rutile kiln feeds. The project is currently the subject of a pre-feasibility study.

A hybrid solar diesel electricity facility was built in 2022 at Jacinth-Ambrosia.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Iluka Resources Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Iluka (Eucla Basin) Pty.Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Iluka Resources Ltd. owns a 100% interest in Iluka Resources (Eucla Basin) Pty. Ltd., which owns and operates Jacinth-Ambrosia mine.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Sedimentary
  • Mineral sands

Summary:

The Jacinth-Ambrosia (J-A) Project area occurs in Tertiary age sediments of the Eucla Basin. North of the J-A Project area, the Eucla Basin is underlain by the older Palaeozoic Officer Basin, which subcrops and outcrops north of the railway. South east of the J-A Project area, Eucla Basin sediments overlie the Precambrian Gawler Craton, which subcrop and outcrop to the east (Iluka 2007b).

The Jacinth deposit is a north-south oriented palaeo-sedimentary sand deposit approximately 5 km long by 900 m wide and up to 42 m deep. The average thickness of overburden is approximately 8 m. Ore thickness ranges from approximately 20 - 45 m.

The Ambrosia deposit consists of a larger central zone up to 700 m wide, approximately 2.2 km long and up to 30 m deep as well as three smaller satellite pits to the east and north. The average ore thickness is 12 m; overburden thickness varies, averaging 8 m.

Soils
The soil distribution across the J-A Project area reflects the geological history of the area. At least five marine transgression and regression events have occurred in the Eucla Basin (depositing 40–50 m of sediments), the most recent event forming the Nullarbor Limestone found in the borefield and pipeline areas. The sedimentary sequence overlies partially weathered granitic and gneissic rocks of the Gawler Craton. The characteristics of the sediments from the various marine regression and transgression events vary sufficiently to form distinct stratigraphic units.

The thickness of these stratigraphic units varies across the J-A Project area and individual units may be absent at some locations. West of the airstrip and village, the stratigraphic units are not present and the soils are dominated by the Nullarbor Limestone, with occasional Aeolian dunal sand ridges.

The regolith in the J-A Project area and adjacent areas is highly heterogeneous, with thickness and physio-chemical characteristics varying significantly spatially, with depth, and between soils. The soil surface is fragile, with the high percentage of fine sand particles in the surface (and some regolith) samples being particularly susceptible to wind erosion. Soil strength measurements indicate that weak soil crusts develop within the topsoil material which offers some protection from wind erosion.

The soil profile above the orebody and barren Ooldea Sands can be broadly subdivided into soil materials that have been termed Brown Loam and Red Loam, occurring beneath topsoil and, in places, dunal sand, termed Yellow Sand (Soil Water Consultants 2008). A conceptual model of the soil profile, which re-interprets the geological stratigraphy through additional survey and data from a soil science perspective, is shown in Figure 9. The physio-chemical characteristics of the soil materials can vary significantly (Table 9), especially Red Loam which represents an amalgam of clayey- and sandy-members of the Quaternary Sand Unit. Red Loam generally has higher clay content than Brown Loam and can be dispersive as a result of a higher exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP). Areas of higher pH are generally associated with the presence of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) that can manifest as calcrete in the profile, although this is not a continuous layer. Beneath the topsoil, which is non- to slightly saline, the soils are classed as slightly to extremely saline. Plant available water capacity (PAWC) is low in topsoil and Yellow Sand, increasing in the Brown Loam and Red Loam layers due to their higher clay content, but PAWC is moderated by these materials’ higher salinity.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityProductUnits2023202220212020201920182017
Heavy Minerals Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe558674
Ilmenite Mineral kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe107122118
Zircon Mineral kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe260289214
Rutile Mineral kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe313835

Operational metrics

Metrics2023202220212020201920182017
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe9,845 kt10,312 kt620 kt
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,465,000 bcm3,010,000 bcm816,000 bcm
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Hourly processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,000 t

Production Costs

CommodityUnits202320222021202020192018
Cash costs Heavy Minerals AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 557 / t   491 / t  
Cash costs (sold) Heavy Minerals AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 473 / t  

Financials

Units202320222021202020192018
Capital expenditures M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 22  
Revenue M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 482.7   568.6  
Pre-tax Income M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 316.8   358.9  
EBIT M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 330.2   364  
EBITDA M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 343.3   378.8  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 15, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 15, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 15, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 15, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 15, 2024

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2018

Aerial view:

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